A cokpobation oe



June 7, 1927.

1,631,518 w. s. CLEAVES BOX MAKING MACHINE Filed'Sept. 29. 1925 1 (g v f" w m 5? 1 1720672327 Patented June 7, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. CLEAVES, 0F WOLLAS'ION, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOE 'lif) lNEUMATlC SCALE'CORPORATION, LIMITED, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

BOX-MAKING MACHINE.

Application filed September 29, 1925. Serial No, 59,359.

This invention relates to a box i'naking machine, and particularly to a box making machine employing box banding mechanism for wrapping a banding strip around the periphery of the body portion of the box or around the cover therefor.

()ne object of the invention is to proviifle a. novel and improved. machine oi the character specilied in which provision is made for cutting a thumb hole in the box or cover as a step in the operation of the machine.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a unitary machine for banding a box or cover and for cutting thumb holes in two of the opposite sides of the box or cover whereby completed boxes and covers may be formed in a minimum time and at minimum cost, and with minimum invested capital.

With this object in view, the invention consists in the machine and in the structures, combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sufiicient portion of a box making machine of the type employing box banding mechanism to enable the invention to be understood; Fig. 2 is a plan view' of a portion of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the plunger, die, and thumb holing mechanism illustrating the parts in a different position of operation.

In general, the box making machine illustrated in the drawing and embodying the present invention is of the type illustrated in the U. S. patent to Hogfeldt No. 996,856, of July l, 1911, and comprises briefly a box banding mechanism consisting of a spring actuated presser roll 10 and a plunger or block 12 upon which the box or cover to bebanded is positioned by hand or. by suitable feeding mechanism such for example as that illustrated in said Hogfeldt patent. The plunger or block 12 is intermittently rotated and operates to draw the banding strip, the end of which has previously been fed between and adhesively applied to the periphery of the box or cover by the presser roll 10, so that as the box makes a complete revolution the banding strip is adhesively wrapped around the box or cover, leaving a portion of the box or cover. is made for moving the block or plunger 12 to deposit the box or cover into a die 15, and for this purpose the plunger or block is reciprocated by a positively driven cam 16 as is completely disclosed and described in said Hog'feldt patent. Then the banded box or cover is operated upon by folding devices 18 which may be of the construction illustrated in said Hogfeldt patent 996,856 and which operate to fold the projecting portion of the banding strip inwardly at right angles to the sides of the box. After the banded box or cover has been deposited in the die, the latter is reciprocated transversely ot the machine to position the box or cover and'the' die in alinement with a second plunger 20, and provision is then made for inserting the plunger 20 into the cover or box and for folding inwardly the inwardly projecting portions of the banding strip to adhesively atiix them to the interior of the sides of thebox and to thereby finish the mouth or edge of the box or cover. The second plunger 20 is then withdrawn, the box or cover withdrawing from the die upon the plunger 20.

In accordance with the present invention, provision is made for cutting a thumb hole and preferably a pair of thumb holes in each of two of the opposite sides of the box or cover, and as herein shown this is accomplished While the box or cover is positioned upon the second plunger 20. Referring particularly to Fi 2 and 3, the mechanism therein illustrated for actuating the plunger 20 comprises abarrel cam 22 with which a cam roller 24 cooperates to oscillate a lever 26 pivoted at 28 uponthe machine frame 30. The upper end of thelcver 26 is pivoted to a link 32 secured by a stud 34- to- 46 adjustably secured in a bracket d8 attached to the machine frame 30, both the block tO and the plunger move forward as a unit. The block 40 has pivoted to it a pair of levers 50 carrying at their forward ends thumb holing dies 52 which are adapted to cooperate with corresponding dies 5% formed in the lateral surfaces of the plunger 20. A pair of coil springs 56 are interposed between the forward arms of the levers 50 and the block 40. and operate to yieldingly spread the levers 50 into the position illustrated in Fig. 2. As above stated, during the advance of the plunger 20, both the plunger and the thumb holing attachn'ient move forward as a unit until the block 40 is engaged by the end of thearm L6, whereupon the heavy coil spring 42 yields, permitting the end of the plunger 20 to be inserted into the die 15 and into the interior of the box or cover held by the die, and to fold inwardly and adhesively aflix the inwardly projecting portions of the banding strip to thereby finish the edges of the box or cover. As the plunger 20 retracts, the box or cover moves with it, and when the plunger has in its rearward movement reached the point corresponding to the end of the upturned arm 46, then the coil. spring 42 operates to relatively move the block 40 upon the plunger 20 and to position the thumb holing dies 52 over the marginal portions of the box. Thereafter as the plunger 20 and the block t0 move rearwardly as a unit, cam rollers 60 upon the rear ends of the levers 5O ride upon cam surfaces 62 upon a sta tionary cam 63 and operate to cause thedies 52 to be moved inwardly into cooperation with the corresponding dies 54: upon the plunger 20 and to die out the thumb hole portions from the marginal edge of the box. In Fig. 3 the parts are shown in their rearward position, wherein the action of the thumb hole attachment is clearly illustrated. After the thumb holes have been formed in the box or cover, the latter may be removed from the plunger 20 in any convenient manner.

W'hile the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invent-ion what is claimed is:

1. In bx making machine, in combina tion, a die for holding a box or cover, having an adhesive banding strip wrapped around the same and projecting beyond the edge of the cover, a plunger movable into the die to fold inwardly and adhesively aflix the projecting portion of the banding strip to the interior of the cover, and upon which the box or cover is positioned when the same is withdrawn from the die, means for mov ing the plunger, and thumb hole cutting means cooperating with the box or cover while positioned on the plunger.

2. In a box making machine, in combination, a die for holding a box or cover, a plunger movable into the die and upon which the box or cover is positioned when the same is withdrawn from the die, a thumb hole cutting device, and means for automatically operating the same to cut a thumb hole in the box or cover presented to such device by said plunger.

3. In a box making machine, in combination, a die for holding a box or cover, a plunger movable into the die and upon which the box or cover is positioned when the plunger is withdrawn from the die, a thumb hole cutting device, and means for automatically operating the same when the plunger and the box or cover have moved into a definite position.

4. In a box making machine, in combination, a die for holding a box or cover, a thumb hole cutting device, means for with.- drawing the cover from the die and present ing it to the thumb hole cutting device, and means for automatically operating the thumb hole cutting device when a cover has been presented to it. I

5. A box making machine having,- in combination, a pair of devices for holding a box or cover, said devices being spaced apart and arranged to reciprocate in substantially parallel paths, a box banding mechanism for wrapping an adhesive banding strip around abox or cover held by one of the devices, a transversely reciprocating die into which the banded box or cover is deposited by the first device and by which it is transferred into alignment with the second device, means for moving the second device into the box or cover within the die, and thumb ho-le cutting means to which the box or cover is presented when withdrawn from the die upon said second device.

6. In a; box making machine, in combination, a die for holding a box or cover, a device movable into and from the die and by which the box or cover is held when with drawn from the die, and thumb hole cutting means operative to cut a thumb hole in a box or cover held by said device.

In testimony whereof I have signed my .name to this specification.

IVILLIAM S- GLEAVES. 

